I must begin by congratulating all our Aberconwy A-Level and GCSE students on their exam results and also with these congratulations we must all thank teachers and support staff for all that they have done to rise above the challenges of the last 18 months. Llongyfarchiadau a diolch!
More congratulations are also due to Team GB for their phenomenal performance at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Again, the pandemic has added insurmountably to the challenges already faced by the athletes and their performance has been inspirational. In just over a week’s time the Paralympic Games commence and, for many of the athletes, just reaching the start line is a remarkable achievement. I wish our Paralympic athletes all the luck that they deserve in Tokyo - the entire country is behind you and we cannot wait to watch the whole of ParalympicsGB achieve incredible things. Pob lwc!
As I have mentioned before, during August Parliament does not sit and this allows MPs an invaluable opportunity to be out and about across their constituencies meeting with residents, businesses, community and faith groups. Some of the most important work to help people is often carried out out of sight with little fanfare and never has this been truer than during the pandemic.
The work of the Job Centre teams across the UK in helping to administer and field queries about support has been more important than ever and I've kept in touch with our Llandudno team through the pandemic by Zoom. However, since my last update in Conwy Nub News I’ve finally had the chance to meet with them in person; to thank them for what they have been doing and to see how they were getting on with the new challenges of returning to normality. Anne, Dave and Sam were very generous with their time, explaining how they were helping place people in work.
The meeting was shortly after the launch of the Government's New National Disability Strategy which aims to show employers that there is a willing and able workforce that is being overlooked. There are all sorts of resources and advice available to help employers to be "disability confident." Importantly, it is clear work force demographics are changing and that, as we recover from the pandemic, employers will not be able to afford to ignore disability as they manage growth, compete for workforce and adapt to their expectations. I shall be meeting with Sam again soon to see what I can do to help her and her team to deliver this support in Aberconwy.
Over this summer I have also had the opportunity to meet with Berin Jones, the Chairman of Llandudno Hospitality, and together we have visited a number of businesses in the town to speak about the challenges that they face and their priorities as we emerge from the restrictions. We discussed a wide range of issues with everyone that we visited and I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead.
As I mentioned in my last column, Mrs. Millar and I took a short break last week and had a splendid few days away and I am pleased to announce a new member of the family. We are delighted to welcome Gibb who is a nine-year-old retired working springer and he is settling in with us well.
This week I returned to my busy schedule of meetings across Aberconwy and it feels as if my feet haven’t touched the ground. Early in the week I had meetings with councillors, training providers, faith leaders and residents. It is so interesting to hear the different perspectives of our local communities and to understand the challenges and issues that they face. It was also great to catch up with Cllr. Liz Roberts in Betws-y-Coed. We spoke about a number of issues that are impacting on villagers and businesses, including the poorly parked cars near the bridge causing severe traffic issues. I came away with a long “to do” list which I shall be working with UK Government, Welsh Government and the Council to address.
Although my office team and I continue to receive a large volume of emails, letters and ‘phone calls I can report that my inbox has been just slightly quieter over the last fortnight. I hope that this is a sign that many of you have been able to take some time to enjoy the summer weather and enjoy being with your friends and loved ones. Many of the emails and letters that I am receiving are about Bills going through Parliament when we return in September and I look forward to keeping you updated on my position on on-going legislation, and how I will be voting. I hold a Facebook Live Q&A session each Wednesday at 7:30 and this is an ideal opportunity for you to ask me questions about the issues that matter to you. I enjoy these sessions and they have already helped me to speak with hundreds of people across Aberconwy – I do hope to see as many of you as possible at these Q&As in the coming weeks.
Please remember, if you need any assistance or support or indeed would like my help with a community issue or project - please phone my office on 01492 583094 or email me at [email protected]
